Rarely do fictional products share the same level of popularity as their real-world counterparts, but The Simpsons’ most celebrated suds became so popular over the years that we can now drink Duff Beer (responsibly) whenever we want. And it’s understood that we’ll never look as badass as Duff Man while doing so. Someone else who knows a thing or two about looking cool is Guns ‘N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, who continues to promote the story that he’s the namesake source for the animated booze.
With 35 seasons under its belt, which have helped cement it as one of the best animated TV series of all time, The Simpsons has been wildly influential within pop culture ever since the family debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show in April 1987, just two months before Guns ‘N’ Roses released their massive 30x-platinum debut album Appetite for Destruction. Coincidence? Well, yes, though Duff McKagan has held onto the claim that the Fox series reached out to him for name clearance at the time for Homer’s beverage of choice.
Duff McKagan's Latest Duff Beer Claims
As recently as early June 2024, McKagan talked to Stereogum about the breadth of his long career as a globally renowned musician. When the topic of The Simpsons came up, as it does, the bassist didn’t sidestep the long-lasting rumor, saying:
So I was Duff, the King of Beers. But this is 1988, 1989 and our management, I remember they called me and said some arthouse-like cartoon wants to use your name as the beer, like a college arthouse cartoon. There weren’t any adult cartoons at this point. I didn’t know about branding or anything like that, but that show took off. And then they started selling merch and stuff. I never went after him, but I’m like, 'Hey, motherfuckers,' you know? So I think it’s very probably business savvy of them to say that’s not true. But if you just do your own math behind it, look at when they started off with the King of Beers, and I had my King of Beers belt I wore all the time.
Obviously the timing does match up quite well, even if it's not entirely clear how much Matt Groening or any of The Simpsons writers would have been dialed into the L.A. metal scene at the time. And while the MTV-frequenting musician is possibly correct about his management calling him about the Duff name, that doesn't necessarily mean he's the sole inspiration for the beer branding.
Which is to say, Duff McKagan's claims over the years have been debunked by various Simpsons writers and producers, similar to how the show's creative team members readily expect to be questioned about The Simpsons' various "predictions" over the decades, knowing that some will need to be denied, such as supposedly foreseeing the Diddy controversy. (Here's what showrunner Al Jean told me years ago about things he wishes The Simpsons correctly predicted.)
A Veteran Simpsons Writer/Producer Sets The Duff Record Straight
Jay Kogen was part of The Simpsons' squad during the first half of the 1990s, and is credited with writing some of the early classics such as "Bart the Daredevil," "Lisa the Greek," and "Last Exit to Springfield." TMZ reached out to get his side of the story when it came to Duff Beer's name origins, and he gave quite the interesting explanations, saying:
We named it Duff because it's a synonym for butt, tushy, booty, and so on.
If that was at all clear back in the day, I'd imagine that Duff McKagan wouldn't want anything to do with it, since 1990 was not a time to be known for having an ironic name that was synonymous with a butt, or to "sell out" by lending one's name to a TV show in such a way.
Jay Kogen went on to say that The Simpsons' most well-established brand is not at all meant to reflect a rock star lifestyle, so it would be senseless to have one as its inspiration. As he put it:
Duff is a beer for people who sat on their fat ass all day.
So there you possibly have it, fans. Duff Beer was named for somewhat juvenile reasons, and any connection to the Guns 'N' Roses star wasn't made with intent. It's even possibly someone from Fox did call the band's management just to get a general feel for what McKagan's response would be if he saw Duff on the show, as opposed to legally seeking clearance or something equally official.
Fans can check out all the Duffman episodes they want with a Disney+ subscription as we wait for Season 36 to hit Fox later in the 2024 TV premiere schedule.
